Whiffletree.



F. S. BURBEE.

WHIFFLBTREE. APrLIoATIoN FILED 00T. 21

Patented Jan. 18,1910.

Parana raton.

FRANK S. BURBEE, OF ROCK GLEN, NEW YORK.

WI-IIFFLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application inea october 21, 190s. serial message vTo alt wle-om tt may concern:

Be it known that I, F RANK S. BURBEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Glen, in the county of Wyoming and vState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Whittletrees, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a whi'ltletree which will be simple, strong 4and durable in construction, and more particularly contemplates the arrangement of the several parts whereby the whittletree may be attached to vehicles, farm implements, or any form of coupling without the yaddition or use of specially constructed or cooperating parts.

The invention consists essentially of a sectional whitlletree and swingletrees preferably constructed of metal and a clevis pivotally connected between the whiltletree sections intermediate of their ends, the opposite ends of the clevis being formed with dual attaching means designed to connect with oppositely formed tug connections.

' For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereofl and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective View of the whiffletree attached toa-,drag chain; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional View` through the whiltletree and clevis plate; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the whittletree attached to avehicle tongue; and, Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clevis plate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates an ordinary vehicle tongue or pole and 2 designates a whiltletree consisting of two bars f2et preferably constructed of metal secured together at their ends and bowed at the center as shown at 3. (Fig. l.) A clevis plate 4 is pivotally secured at its middle between the bars 2a as shown at 5 and is provided at one end with an eye 6 and at its opposite end with a hook 7 having a swivel end formation secured at the edge of the clevis plate to permit the hooked end to engage an eye or link at varying angles. v

The whiflietree when used with vehicles is secured to the tongue 1 by a pin 9 extending through openings 10 in the bars 2a registering with an opening 11 in the clevis plate 4, and saidv clevis plate with its oppositely formed hook and eye end formations may be turned in either direction when the whifetree is removed from the tongue 1 and used as attaching means with coperating tug connections adapted to connect with a hook or an eye.

The swingletrees 12 are secured to the ends of the bars 2a by U-shaped clips 13 extending through swivel rings 14 secured to the swingletrees and the ends of said clips are secured to said bars by pins 15. The pins 15 also serve to hold the ends of the bars 2a securely together and permit necessary relative movement of the connecting part-s when in use. rIhe swingletrees are preferably constructed of two bars 12'1 of the same general formation as the whitlietree and secured at their ends by pins 16. The swivel rings 14 are secured between the bars 12"L intermediate of the ends of said bars, and trace hooks 17 having a swivel connection are carried by the swingletrees at both ends. The hooked ends of the trace hooks are turned outwardly and the traces preparatory to being secured are given a half turn and the hooked ends turned inwardly and in alinement with the swingletrees to bring the traces straight and to vprevent disengagement from said hooks.

`With the arrangement of the several parts as shown the whiliietree may be detachably connected to a vehicle tongue by the pin 9 or attached to any form of tug connection by the hook or veye end formation of the clevis plate 4. "When used in the first menthose ordinarily employed and by the use of which the inherent strength of the connections is unimpaired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A whiflietree comprising separate complemental bars spaced apart and secured together, and an elongated central clevis plate interposed between the middle portions of the bars and pivoted at an intermediate point thereto, the clevis being provided at its ends with attaching means and the ends of the clevis projecting beyond the opposite side edges of the bars when the clevis is disposed at right angles to the length thereof, the clevis being adapted to be turned in alinement with the whiftle tree to be entirely inclosed between the bars, whereby to render said attaching means inoperative.

2. A whiiiletree comprising separate complemental bars spaced apart and secured together, an elongated clevis plate interposed between the bars and pivoted thereto, the clevis being provided at one end with attaching means and the said end of the clevis projecting beyond adjacent side edges of the bars when the clevis is disposed at right angles to the length thereof, and means cooperating with the bars for positively and detachably engaging 'the clevis to hold the latter in alinement with the whiifletree, the clevis being entirely inclosed between the bars in such latter position, whereby to render said attaching means inoperative.

3. A whiilietree comprising separate complemental bars spaced apart and secured together, an elongated central clevis plate interposed between the middle portions of the bars and pivoted at an intermediate point thereto, the clevis being provided at its ends with attaching means and the ends of the clevis projecting beyond the opposite side edges of the bars when the clevis is disposed at right angles to the length thereof, and means for positively and detachably engaging the clevis to maintain the same in alinement with the whiietree, the clevis being entirely inclosed between the bars in such latter position, whereby to render said at taching means inoperative.

4. A whitlletree comprising complemental bars spaced apart and secured together, an elongated clevis plate interposed between the bars and pivoted thereto, the clevis being provided at one end with attaching means and the said end of the clevis projecting beyond adjacent side edges of the bars when the clevis is disposed at right angles to the length thereof, and a pin removably inserted through the bars and the clevis for maintaining vthe latter in alinement with the whiflletree, the clevis being entirely inclosed between the bars in such later position, whereby to render said attaching means inoperative.

5. A whiilletree comprising separate complemental bars spaced apart and secured together, an elongated central clevis plate interposed between the middle portions of the bars and pivoted at an intermediate point thereto, the clevis being provided at. its ends with attaching means and the ends of the clevis projecting beyond the opposite side edges of the bars when the clevis is disposed at right angles to the length thereof, and a pin removably inserted through the bars and the clevis plate and projecting therebeyond for pivoting the whitlietree to the vehicle pole, said pin being arranged in eccentric relation to the pivot of the clevis to maintain the latter in alinement with the whifletree, whereby to render said attaching means inoperative.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK S. BURBEE.

Witnesses FRANK WV. RE'LYEA, GLEN F. BURBEE. 

